Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is drawing flak from all quarters after his team’s embarrassing eight-wicket against Afghanistan in the ongoing World Cup at Chepauk on Monday (October 23).

The loss has hampered Pakistan's chances for a semi-final qualification. The Men in Green are now facing a situation where they need to win the remaining four league matches and might have to rely on other teams to make it to the final four.

Disappointed by Pakistan’s performance in the mega event, former all-rounder Shahid Afridi came down heavily on Babar’s captaincy, citing that the star batter is unable to inspire his team as a leader.

“When you are not in the game, when you are hiding inside a shell, when you are not positive... sometimes, I feel we keep waiting for a miracle. But miracles only happen when you know how to fight. See, captain is everything. If he puts the efforts in fielding, dives a lot, runs around and backs his boys, the team gels up and puts extra efforts. Because if the captain is putting that much efforts, his teammate would feel ashamed if he doesn't put the similar effort,” Afridi said on Samaa TV.

“I was captain, so was Mohammad Yousuf. If the captain wasn't doing much, no one would get the motivation. It's the captain's role to put pressure. Fast bowler is bowling, you have only 4 runs to defend, there's no slip. You don't even have a fielder at point,” he added.

Meanwhile, news agency PTI on Wednesday (October 25) reported that Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi are being discussed as potential candidates who could replace Babar Azam as captain when the team returns home from the World Cup.

According to the report, there is a consensus developing in the PCB that Babar has had his fair share of opportunity and he failed to deliver as captain.

Pakistan’s next World Cup match is scheduled against South Africa in Chennai on October 27.